Desire after God Himself: praise even in the wilderness

If Psalm 61 has been the cry of depression, Psalm 62 the
confidence and encouragement of trust in God, Psalm 63 is the
longing of the soul, still as cast out and far from the sanctuary
(so we can speak of heaven, for we have seen the power and glory
there by faith); but having, by faith in the lovingkindness
itself, praise as its portion even in the wilderness, marrow and
fatness to feed upon. It is a beautiful psalm in this respect; for
it knows God; praise is thus begotten in the soul and for all
times. There are two points: first, a most sweet word because
God's lovingkindness is better than life, his lips praise God,
though life in the wilderness be sorrow; secondly, because He has
been his help, therefore he will rejoice in His protection. Verse
8 describes the practical result his soul followed hard after God,
and God's right hand upheld him. There was the longing to see the
power and the glory as he had seen it; the present satisfying of
the soul as with marrow and fatness, and that in the silent
watches of the night, when all outward excitement was hushed and
the soul left to itself. Those that sought the soul of the
righteous to destroy it should go down into hades, but the king
shall rejoice in God. Those that own His name should glory, but
the false ones who departed from Him should be put to shame. It is
again the king, and applies to Christ in a higher sense than to
the remnant. For Him it was the desire to see the glory from which
He was descended; for the Jew it was in the temple; for us, a
Christ who has been revealed by faith to us, who have seen the
glory and sanctuary into which He is entered.

There is a difference between Psalm 84 and this psalm: that is
the desire to revisit the sanctuary of God; this, desire after God
Himself. There the tabernacles of Jehovah, a covenant God, are
amiable; here God Himself is a delight when there are no
tabernacles to go to.*

{*For Christ and for the new man, the world is a desert, without
anything in it to refresh the soul. But divine favour being better
than life, we can praise while we live; our soul is satisfied as
with marrow and fatness. The saint is not in the sanctuary, but
has seen God in it. His desire is after God Himself. Christ could
literally say this. "He hath seen the Father": we have seen Him in
Him.}